Treasure Island
Treasure Island is a mythical location within the Maritanis said to house many riches as well as the source of power for the Pirate Kingdom. Created by Lyrielle the Coming Tide, it is a magical island whose location within the ocean is as fluid as the ocean itself. According to legend, only the Pirate King knows precisely where to find Treasure Island, and only he can tell someone how to locate it. Without a map or instruction from the reigning Pirate King, locating Treasure Island is nearly impossible.Spoiler 1 The island is the location in which the Pirate King typically stores the gold and treasure he 'taxes' from ships sailing the Maritanis. It also houses the altar to Lyrielle the Coming Tide on which the heir to the Pirate throne must swear his oath to Lyrielle in exchange for the powers that come with being the Pirate King. In addition to the altar and the riches, Treasure Island is said to contain the legendary Golden Fleece, an object which is thought to be able to heal any injury, cure any disease, and even return life to one who has died if that death occurred only a short time ago.Spoiler 2 History Treasure Island was created by Lyrielle the Coming Tide as a gift to the Pirate people. The Pirates were the only humans who cared for and loved the ocean as much as the sea goddess, and so she gifted them a mystical island which held great power. The island itself did not have a stationary position, but moved upon the ocean waves like a ship. The Coming Tide made the island so that it could be relocated by the Pirate King at any time, moved from one part of the Maritanis to another to avoid being detected or found by rivals or treasure hunters. Although the PIrates were the only humans who loved and revered the seas, they were not the only humans sailing upon the oceans. In the early days of Treasure Island, the Pirate King thought to make the island the center of the Pirate Kingdom with a small settlement for his Captains and most trusted men, but allowing them easy access to the treasures hidden on the island proved to be too much for many men to resist. So, the town was abandoned and the location of Treasure Island became a closely guarded secret held only by the reigning Pirate King. Geography Treasure Island is small with an extremely rocky shoreline masked by churning waves. High cliffs ring the island, with a single beach providing access to the interior part of the island. The coast itself is forboding with a teaming coral reef of treacherous rocks which would pose a danger to any ships seeking to access the single beach on Treasure Island. There is a pathway through the reefs, but it is not easily found by one is not accustomed to traversing it. The island is home to no native animals, though it is lush with greenery with coconut and banana trees growing in abundance. There are some buildings on the island, most long since abandoned and derelict. Although there are no native animals, there are some wild goats, pigs, and chickens which roam Treasure Island freely, the remnants of livestock kept by the first Pirate King and his Captains during the short time they lived on Treasure Island. In the center of the island is a single saltwater malestrom thought to connect directly to the Maritanis. It is here that the Pirates created their altar to the Coming Tide. In gratitude to the Coming Tide for her gift to the Pirate people, the first Pirate King erected a monument to Lyrielle in the center of the island near the saltwater maelstrom. A portion of the gold and riches 'taxed' from each ship who sails upon the sea is dropped through the spring and into the ocean for the goddess of the seas. The monument itself is golden statue made to resemble the Coming Tide in her natural form. Below it is an altar of coral and shells as well as a piece of wood from each ship in the Pirate Kingdom. The weather on Treasure Island is warm year round with frequent but mild showers. It is sheltered from the storms which sometimes ravage the surface of the oceans. Magical Properties It is forbidden for any creature of the ocean, save the Pirates, to attempt to gain access to Treasure Island. Some cautionary tales warn that trespassing on Treasure Island can result in terrible consequences, such as eternal 'grounding' or removal of the creature's ability to live beneath the ocean waves and sentencing them to a life on land. In addition to its magical mode of travel, the water which rings Treasure Island and it's defensive coral reef possesses a magic which allows the Pirate King to transport his ship and its contents to any part of the Martianis instantly after sailing over it, allowing the Pirate King to store his treasure and once more take up his patrols anywhere on the ocean he desires. In order to crown oneself the Pirate King, the prospective Pirate must swear an oath of fealty to the Coming Tide, promising to uphold Lyrielle's commands to respect and protect the ocean from those who do not appreciate its wonders. After the oath, the Pirate offers up his own life's blood, salty as the ocean he loves, by slicing open his palm with a sharp shell from the altar and allowing his blood to drip down the Altar and into the malestrom beneath. It is said that if the offering is accepted, the blood on the altar will run clear as water into the sea below. Finally, to claim his powers, the Pirate King must descend into the malestrom itself. Through these swirling waters he obtains access to his powers as the Pirate King. It is said that if someone unworthy attempts to claim the Pirate throne, someone who does not love and respect the oceans as Lyrielle commanded, that the maelstrom will detect this sacrilege and swallow up the man for all time. The Ocean Blight Treasure Island was one of the few places only slightly effected by the tragic events of the Ocean Blight. Though some Blighted creatures attempted to traverse the cliffs and gain access to the land, few were able to do so. These unlucky individuals found themselves subject to the Grounding curse, unable to return to the sea which gave them life, and so they eventually perished. Before Lyrielle's death following the Ocean Blight, the sea goddess was able to escape with a fraction of her former power. She used this fragment of power, with the help of the Forebearer, to move Treasure Island to a location outside of time where it is still accessible to those who are brave enough to seek it, but immune from the ravages of the Ocean Blight, at least for the time being. This final act of bravery and love for her children has prevented Maleficent and those behind the Blight from being able to take possession of Treasure Island. Unfortunately, however, it has also blinded Aethanryke and Arista the new goddess of the ocean from its location for the time being.